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National Minimum Wage Cut To Be Reversed

Taoiseach Enda Kenny

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil yesterday that the Government does not intend to raise further taxes, as any part of the governments new job creation package, now expected to be unveiled in the coming weeks ahead.

Good news also for Tipperary recipients of the National Minimum Wage. The Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton has announced that the Government will reverse the cut in the national minimum wage, imposed by Fianna Fail, in a revised deal with the EU-IMF to be published this coming Friday. The Government together with the IMF, European Commission and ECB, will publish a revised Memorandum of Understanding on Friday next.

Richard Bruton stated the Government now plan to introduce legislation to restore the minimum wage from €7.65 per hour to €8.65 per hour by this summer. However, the Minister stated that in return there may be changes to existing registered employment agreements, which give workers in the low-paid sectors, various rights, including higher pay for Sunday and bank holiday work. Mr Bruton further stated that this reversal had the backing of the IMF and insisted that any new laws introduced would further improve our competitiveness in the Irish economy.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin, latter Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, yesterday met senior officials from the joint EU-IMF mission at the Department of Finance. Their meeting focused on discussing a draft of the revised memo, prepared by the IMF, European Commission and ECB officials, following a week of further research and discussion.